Scotty McCreery Is a Mentor on ‘American Idol’ This Season, But He Misses the Bad Auditions

Previous American Idol winner Scotty McCreery is always going to be an Idol at heart, but that doesn't mean he's always going to agree with everything the show does.

McCreery tells Taste of Country Nights' Sam Alex that he's a little disappointed in the new Idol format's decision to nix the "bad" audition footage that was peppered throughout the original seasons. Showrunner Trish Kinane previously referred to the auditions as exploitative, though noted that the "funny" footage would often still be retained in the new season.

"I don't really like it, honestly," McCreery admits. "I feel like that was a big part of Idol. It was so fun that you'd see awesome singers and folks who just ... weren't."

"They were great TV and they were awesome," he adds. "I wish they'd keep those in there."

Scotty McCreery and 5 More Really Unforgettable American Idol Auditions

But McCreery has a lot to be positive about when it comes to the show — especially because he's acting as a mentor to contestants this season! "It's exciting," he gushes. "I've already gone out to L.A. and filmed a mentor session with some of the contestants. The contestants were cool, great voices, and seem like they have great heads on their shoulders. It should be a good year."

"We're working together, he was out there too," McCreery says. It was really cool getting to work with him in that different environment than what we normally see each other in."

The new season of American Idol will premiere with not one, but two shows, running Sunday, March 11 at 8PM ET and Monday, March 12 at 8PM ET. Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie will be filling roles as judges.

Taste of Country Nights is a syndicated night show which airs on more than 100 radio stations nationwide. Listen to highlights on iTunes or your Android device.